Disclaimer(for the whole story): This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Summary: The whole motto of the Black family is 'Toujours pur, toujours du sang de Black'. It brings dire consequences when Harry, as the new Lord Black, does not possess an ounce of Black blood. Will Narcissa be able to convince Harry in time to save both Harry's and Draco's lives? HP/DM, mpreg.
Pairings: Harry/Draco, side pairing Ron/Hermione
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: This fanfiction will end in romance, but keep in mind that at the beginning Draco had just tried to kill Dumbledore and thus, Harry is not on the best terms with Draco. So there will be some fights.
Guide: "Speech", Thoughts, ~letters and other written things
Beta: Destiny1195. Thank you so much for your work! :) All remaining errors are my own.
AN: I know that I should be writing new chapters for my other in-progress stories, however I had the idea for this story for some months now and thought it highly time to write the beginning of it down. Lengthwise it should be about 5-10 chapters long.
-~-~- Toujours pur, toujours du sang de Black* -~-~-
-~-~-by Stillwatersaredeep-~-~-
-~-~- Chapter 1 -~-~-
When Sirius Black named his godson the heir of the Black family, he only had Harry's best interests in mind. However, because he had broken with his family before he became of age, he was never told the Black family secret. If Sirius had know that the complete Black family motto was 'Toujours pur, toujours du sang de Black' and that it not only referred to the Blacks' obsession with blood-purity but also to an old curse Bartolomeo Black cast on his own family, Sirius would never have named Harry his heir.
But, the people affected by the curse did not need to know about it in order for the magic to take its course, activating the curse on Harry's seventeenth birthday when he officially became Lord Black. While his lack of Black blood was the cause that set the curse into motion, he and Draco Malfoy were the ones who had to pay the price. Both Draco and Harry would have been dead on the second of October, had Narcissa Malfoy not recognized the signs of the curse and asked Severus Snape for his help. With the Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco from harm still in place, Severus was forced to help her and to reveal the address to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix to her.
And so, on the first of August, Narcissa Malfoy found herself standing in front of number twelve Grimmauld Place, knocking on the front door, hoping for a chance to talk to Harry Potter on her son's behalf. She could only hope that he was there as she doubted that she would get another chance as good as this. With today's attack on the Ministry, hopefully no one would notice her absence from the manor, least of all her sister Bellatrix.
She needed to get Draco out of the manor before Bellatrix recognized the signs of the Black curse. As much as Bellatrix still valued the Black ways, she would not tolerate the fact that in order to save Draco they would have to align themselves with Harry Potter. No, before it came to that, Bellatrix would let the curse take its course and both Draco and the hated Potter boy would be dead in three months time.
With trepidation she knocked on the door of the ancestral home of the Black family. She waited, holding her breath. If Potter was not here, she did not know how to find him. After a minute had passed, she knocked for a second time. Still she received no answer. Either he is not here or he does not want to open the door, she though. Left with no other choice, she turned around and walked down the steps.
Narcissa had just walked towards number eleven when she heard a popping noise behind her. When she turned around, she saw Potter and his two friends on the front door steps. Relieved, she quickly turned around and hastened towards them; she would not get a second chance like this.
"Mr Potter," she called out. "Please, hear me out."
As she reached the lower steps, all three had their wands drawn and pointed at her.
"I knew we could not trust Snape," Mister Weasley exclaimed while Miss Granger was looking around, frantically searching for other enemies to attack them at any moment.
"I am alone," Narcissa told them. "Please, your life is in danger," she pleaded. While she was doing this for Draco, she knew that mentioning her son would not help her. "There is a curse placed on you."
"A curse?" Harry asked, not believing her.
"Couldn't you have come up with something a bit more imaginative?" Mr Weasley asked.
"It's the truth. There is a curse on the Black family. When you officially became Lord Black yesterday the curse was activated," she said, desperately tried to make them believe her.
"I say we just Oblivate her and be done with it," Mr Weasley suggested, making her flinch.
"No, we will hear her out," Mr Potter decided, making Narcissa sigh in relief.
"We better get inside," Ms Granger said, not wanting to be out in the open any longer.
"Your wand," Potter demanded. While Narcissa did not trust the Weasley boy to not attack her, she saw no other choice but to surrender her wand. She could only hope that both Granger and Potter would stop Mr Weasley if he should decide to attack her.
-~-~- Toujours pur, toujours du sang de Black -~-~-
Following Narcissa's suggestion, the four of them sat down in the drawing room, Ron still keeping his wand pointed at her whilst Harry and Hermione had put their wands away again.
Before any of them could say anything, Kreacher appeared and asked, "Can Kreacher bring the noble Mrs Malfoy some refreshments?"
"Figures," Ron exclaimed angrily. "If we call for him, he never shows up and when the ohhh so noble Mrs Malfoy appears he's waiting on her hand and foot."
"Ron," Hermione chided.
"What!" Ron complained. "It's true. We need to be cautious and make sure he doesn't spit into our drinks, while he will happily dance the can-can for her."
"Kreacher," Harry said loudly to be heard over Ron's voice, "bring us all some tea and sandwiches." Harry could only hope that with some food, Ron will start to behave more level-headed. "So, what is this curse you were speaking about?" Harry asked Mrs Malfoy.
"It is a curse that was cast on the Black family some centuries ago by the then current head of the family, Lord Bartolomeo Black," Mrs Malfoy began.
"He cursed his own family?" Hermione asked, Ron currently unable to speak as he scoffed down one of the sandwiches Kreacher had brought.
"He did," Narcissa confirmed. "For him it was not a curse, just a means to ensure that his line would always stay pure."
"Toujours pur," Harry said, looking at the inscription of the Black family motto that was written on the family tree tapestry opposites him.
"Yes, Mr Potter, toujours pur," she repeated. "Et toujours du sang de Black," she finished the motto. "The translation is 'Always pure and always of Black blood.' Which brings me to the source of the problem. The curse that Bartolomeo cast basically kills everyone who holds the title of Lord Black but does not possess the Black blood, regardless of how pure that blood may be."
"If this is true, then Sirius would never have named me his heir," Harry countered.
"If he had know about the curse, he would not have. But my cousin ran away while he was still under age. We Blacks are only informed about the curse on our seventeenth birthday," Narcissa explained.
"Are not all purebloods related?" Hermione stated. "Surely Harry has a Black ancestor somewhere in his family tree?" she asked.
"In the last century only one Potter-Black marriage took place. It was between Dorea Black and Charlus Potter, who was the cousin of Harry's grandfather. So, Mr Potter did not receive the Black blood from her," Narcissa explained, pointing at the place of the family tree tapestry where their names were displayed. "If any other Black married into the Potter family, it was so far back that the curse does not recognise him as being of Black blood."
"Let's say I believe that the curse exists," Harry said. "You would not be here if there was no way to prevent me from dying."
"There is a way. But first, let me further explain why Bartolomeo cast the curse on his own line," Mrs Malfoy said before she took a sip of her tea.
Harry nodded his agreement. Since he entered the Wizarding world, he had experienced so many things he at first did not believe could be true and thus, he found himself unable to disregard Narcissa's claims without getting all the facts first. The same was true for Hermione.
Putting the cup back down, Mrs Malfoy continued, "When Bartolomeo cast the spell his intention was to ensure that the Black fortune and also their political power could not be stolen by another family. Bartolomeo was alive in a time full of political and social power plays, where it was safer to distrust everyone, rather than to trust even your own wife and child.
"Imagine this situation. A woman marries the current Lord Black only for the social status she obtains as his wife. Secretly, she is in love with another wizard and wants him and his family to obtain all of the Blacks' power and influence. So, she gets pregnant with her lover's child and claims him to be her husband's. Once Lord Black names this child his heir, they kill him and so get their hands on the Black fortune through their child, who will be raised to be loyal to his biological father's family.
"Because the previous Lord Black has named the child his rightful heir, the Black family would be unable to file a lawsuit to get everything back from them, even though the previous Lord was deceived about the child's true parentage. Because the current Lord decides who his heir will be, they have no guarantee that they will ever be able to persuade the illegitimate new Lord to name a Black his heir. Can you follow me so far?" she asked.
They nodded.
"Here is where the curse comes into play. To ensure that they would be able to get back what rightfully belong to them, Bartolomeo cursed the title of Lord Black. Anyone who is not a Black by blood and receives the title of Lord Black would be subjected to the curse. The illegitimate Lord has three new moons to comply with the demands of the curse. If they do not comply, they'll die a painful death.
"Furthermore, if the illegitimate Lord named an heir before his death, this person will inherit the title of Lord Black and everything that comes with it, but they will also be subjected to the curse if he is not a Black. If no heir was named, the title of Lord Black will go to the closest Black-blooded, male relative of the last rightful Black Lord.
"There are two demands that the illegitimate Lord needs to comply with to pacify the curse and stay alive. The first demand is that the Blacks gain back at least a part of their power. The second one is to ensure that the next Lord Black is of Black blood. So, you see, regardless of whether the illegitimate Lord bows down to the curse or not, in the end, the Blacks could be sure to always get everything back," Narcissa ended her explanation.
As much as it pained Hermione to admit it, she could not help herself but to find the spell work behind the curse interesting. While cruel, it sounded like an effective protection measure.
"So if I named Tonks my heir and gave her everything I inherited from Sirius the curse would be pacified?" Harry asked.
"It is not as easy as this," Narcissa said with a sad smile.
"Malfoy is somehow involved in this, isn't he?" Ron asked.
"If you're referring to my son and not my husband, then yes, he is," Narcissa truthfully answered even though she saw Harry's and Ron's faces darken in anger. She hastily went on to explain why Harry's suggestion to use Tonks would not work, "The first thing you need to understand is that the first demand to give part of the power back to the Blacks is not centred on materialistic power in the form of money and land, but rather on the political power and social status that comes with the title of Lord Black."
"So you're telling me that I should give the title of Lord Black to your son," Harry interrupted her.
"No," Narcissa answered in the negative, shaking her head. "A Lordship can only be transferred to another when the current Lord dies, something we want to avoid," she added with a smile. "To give some of the power back to the Blacks, someone of Black-blood has to become Lady Black," she clarified. When the three others in the room opened their mouths to interrupt, she raised her hand to silence them. "The curse decides who will become the new Lady Black. Usually it is the closest female, unmarried blood-relative of the last rightful Black Lord. But when my niece Nymphadora married, Draco became the only unmarried person whose parent is a Black."
"So if I want to live, I have to marry your son?" Harry asked, not liking the thought.
"Yes. But is has to be a special marriage bond, 'L'union de la nouvelle lune' ⸺ 'The union of the new moon'. It's a special bonding ritual that can only be performed during a new moon night. The most important aspects of this marriage bond are that it makes the two partners unable to conceive children with anyone but their spouse, as well as irrevocably naming the spouse and the resulting children of the marriage the heirs. So the second demand of the curse will also be fulfilled with this marriage bond. It's also the reason why the illegitimate Lord has three new moons after he becomes Lord to fulfil the demands of the curse," Narcissa explained.
"But neither Harry nor Draco can carry children," Hermione pointed out.
"The marriage ritual together with the Black curse will ensure that one of them will be enabled to carry children," Narcissa told them, leaving out that it would probably be her son as the curse had the preference to have the one of Black-blood carry the child.
"What I do not understand is why you're telling me this," Harry said. "If I do not fulfil the demands of the curse and die after the third new moon without naming an heir, then Draco would automatically become the next Lord Black and he would not be affected by the curse." Ron emphatically nodded his head in agreement. He'd wondered about that part too.
"Because the Lord is not the only one who is affected by the curse," Mrs Malfoy admitted. "As cruel as the curse sounds to be to the illegitimate Lord Black, he is not completely helpless. Imagine what would happen if someone is purposefully named as an illegitimate Lord Black and all Blacks by blood refuse to bond with him? It would be a good way to get rid of an enemy without them even knowing that the Blacks are their murderers. So to protect the curse from being misused for such a purpose, the fate of the chosen Black spouse is linked to the illegitimate Lord Black."
This last detail made Mrs Malfoy story more believable in Harry's, Hermione's and Ron's eyes. They knew that she had made Snape swear an Unbreakable Vow to help Draco, so she definitely was a woman who would do everything in her power to keep her child save.
"How can we be sure that everything you just told us is not a plot to hand me over to Vol⸺" Harry did not finish the sentence as Mrs Malfoy sprang up from her seat and put a hand over Harry's mouth, Ron pointing his wand at her.
"Do not say his name," she warned, disregarding the wand pressed to her neck. "The Dark Lord put a Taboo Curse on it," she explained.
"So that's how they found us earlier," Ron realised, putting his wand down. Seeing Harry's questioning look he explained the curse. "The curse is like a tracking charm. Using his name breaks protective enchantments, it causes some kind of magical disturbance. You've got to give them credit, it makes sense. It was only people who were serious about standing up to him, like Dumbledore, who even dared use it. Now they've put a Taboo on it, anyone who says it is trackable — quick-and-easy way to find Order members!"*
"We need to warn the Order about it," Hermione said. Harry and Ron nodded.
"To answer your question, Mr Potter," Narcissa spoke up, having sat down again, "You can choose to simply trust my word as a mother who fears for her son's life. If this is not enough for you, you can ask the house-elf for conformation, he should know about the curse's existence too. Or you can look it up in the library. Bartolomeo left his journal behind where he explains the curse in detail. Andromeda should also be aware of the curse as she was disowned after she finished Hogwarts. If you need proof that the curse is activated, just look at your body. You should have gotten a black five-pointed star, probably on your back," Narcissa said.
"Malfoy also has such a mark?" Harry asked.
"Yes, there are two five-pointed stars in the Black crest. If the curse activates, both the Lord Black and the curse's chosen spouse will be marked by the star. That's how we knew that the curse was activated," she explained. "So will you bow down to the demands of the curse to save both your and Draco's lives?" Mrs Malfoy asked.
"I still do not completely believe you," Harry told her.
"Time is running out, Mr Potter," she warned him. "The next new moon is two days away. And we need at least one day to prepare for the marriage bond ritual. And keep in mind that my sister Bellatrix is staying with us. It is only a matter of time until she remembers the Black curse and figures out that by keeping Draco away from you, she can kill you without even laying a hand on you."
If the curse really existed, Harry knew that he should get Draco here, behind the wards of Grimmauld place as fast as possible. And there was also Dumbledore's offer to Draco that he could protect him and his family if he just changed sides, that was nagging Harry at the back of his mind. "Give me some time to verify your claims," Harry asked. "Once I'm assured that you're not lying, you and your family can move here as long as you promise to take an Unbreakable Vow to not follow Vol-Him," Harry quickly corrected, "anymore."
"How will I know that you believe me?" Narcissa asked.
"We could send Kreacher to you," Ron suggested.
"He could be intercepted by Bellatrix or the Dark Lord," Narcissa pointed out.
"Do you still receive the Daily Prophet?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Mrs Malfoy confirmed.
"Then look out for a marriage announcement," Hermione suggested. "If it says Sherlock Holmes marries John Watson, it means we believe you and you should Apparate here as fast as possible. If the names are inverted, it means that we did not believe your claims. The names should be unusual enough to not be used by others accidentally."
"That's acceptable. But please, also for your own sake, be quick about your decision," Narcissa pleaded, looking Harry straight in the eyes as she stood up to leave. There was nothing more she could do today. She could only hope that her sister Andromeda would validate her claims.
"Your wand," Harry said as he handed it back to her at the front door.
"That was certainly unexpected," Ron said once the door closed behind Mrs Malfoy.
"It was," Hermione agreed.
"Do you think her story is true?" the red-head asked.
"She sounded sincere enough," Harry said. "I suggest we get into contact with Andromeda, look for the star she mentioned I should have and search the library for Bartolomeo's journal."
"And do not forget to inform the others about the Taboo Curse," Hermione added.
"I can do that," Ron said.
"Then I'll search for the journal in the library," Hermione announced.
"I'll see if I can find the star mark and if I have it, I'll write a letter to Andromeda," Harry said, dividing the tasks between them. They all had a busy night and day ahead of them.
-~-~- Toujours pur, toujours du sang de Black -~-~-
Toujours pur, toujours du sang de Black*: French, 'Always pure, always of Black blood'
Using his name…find Order members: Direct quote from the DH book.
-~-~- Toujours pur, toujours du sang de Black -~-~-
AN: So what do you think? Shall I continue this story?